Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive
Gustavo Arnaudo, Director of Finance
Joyce Francis, Director of Human Resources and Training
Sabina Khan, Director of Policy and Research
Lesley Miller, Senior Business Manager
Mei Yee Hui, Business Research Manager
Matt Jarratt, Membership and Communications Manager
Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Policy and Information Officer
Nicola Manches, PA/Administrator
Wangoo Kang, Visiting Researcher
Allison Ogden-Newton is the Chief Executive of Social Enterprise London. In the last five years Allison has built SEL into a cutting edge social economy development agency with an international reputation for innovation with a contemporary edge.
Allison's vision for SEL is to make it a sustainable social enterprise that can capacity build the third sector supported by public funding and deliver management products with commercial value to the growing social enterprise market place.
Allison has a Masters in Industrial Relations from Warwick Business School, and is a Graduate of the Institute of Personnel Managers. Prior to working for SEL, Allison was the CEO at Women's Education in Building (WEB), a voluntary organisation that provided education and training in the construction trades.
It was while at WEB that Allison became interested in social enterprise and set up building etc, to offer struggling entrepreneurs incubator office space, mentoring and access to start-up finance.
Allison is an independent expert on equal pay for work of equal value. She has experience in the labour movement, including working for UCATT, the UK construction workers union, and the ILGWU, the American garment workers union, for whom she worked on elections across the U.S.
Allison is a member of the Government’s Women’s Enterprise Taskforce, a Board member of, amongst others, the London Rebuilding Society and the Social Enterprise Coalition and Deputy Chair of ACEVO.
Allison lives in Richmond with her husband and three young children where she is an active member of her local Allotment Society.
Gustavo is Director of Finance of Social Enterprise London. He joined in 2004, having moved from New York where he worked for Argentina's largest national bank as Deputy Operations Manager in their New York office. He has spent most of his career working in the banking sector, in accountancy and general management, in Argentina, the United States and the United Kingdom and has extensive experience in financial management, information and risk management. He studied Accounting and Economics in Cordoba, his hometown in Argentina and holds a Masters in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University, USA.
Gustavo's work involves three key areas: managing the finances of the company and its subsidiary, providing financial project management to the whole organisation, and working as part of the consultancy team on the financial sustainability and operations efficiency of our clients.
Joyce joined SEL in 1998 when the organisation was first set up and brought a wealth of experience in human resources, training and project management of funded programmes with co-operatives and community projects. She then went on to manage human resources for SEL and to develop accredited training courses for business advisors and training for social enterprises.
Joyce began her career as a primary school teacher. She then moved to Ealing Co-operative Development Agency as a Community Development Worker where she set up a community nursery and other community initiatives and provided business advice and support to people and co- operatives who wanted to set up a small business. Joyce moved to the Ealing Co-operative Development Agency as Training and HR Manager and then to London Co-operative Training as their Training and HR Manager where she also managed funding applications on behalf of support organisations in London delivering training.
After finishing her BA in Economics from Bard College, Sabina completed a Masters in Public Administration at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University. While completing her Masters, she worked for the Public Interest Law Center, New York University School of Law and at the Immigrant's Rights Clinic. After her degree, she worked as a public finance analyst for the Airport and Transportation Group at Lehman Brothers. She then worked as a program associate for Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation's (SEEDCO) Performance Measurement and Management (PM&M) team and the Community Service team. In this capacity she managed a community service program and worked to develop innovative evaluation products for community organisations.
Lesley joined SEL in July 2006, and works as part of the business consultancy team, aiming to facilitate the sustainability of social enterprises in the capital. She joined SEL after 7 years in the private sector, where she undertook roles in Procurement and Project Management for Mobil and Unilever, and gained extensive experience in strategy planning and implementation, tender procedure, negotiation and relationship management. During 2004/2005 Lesley took a career break to travel in Africa and Asia and undertake voluntary work; as part of this sabbatical she worked in Logistics Management for youth development charity Raleigh International in Borneo. Lesley holds a BA Hons in Languages and Business from Durham University, and is accredited as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
Matt joined SEL in June 2008 as Membership and Communications Manager. He holds a BA (Hons) in Modern History from Bangor University and an MSc in Policy Studies from Edinburgh University. Previous posts include Research Fellow at the Scottish Council Foundation, an independent Edinburgh based think tank, and Policy and Communications Officer at the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition. Outside work his interests include playing rugby, politics and going to the theatre.
Mei has been with SEL since April 2002 , starting with projects in the childcare and green economy sectors. Before coming to SEL, Mei worked as a market analyst and a business administration NVQ tutor at a college in Essex. She holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and a MBS in International Business. Mei is currently working on the business services team to provide business support for start up and existing organisations.
Sue project manages the Gr02 programme delivering business development advice and training to established social enterprise in Objective 2 areas of London. She has over 9 years of experience managing over £ 10 million of donor funded projects. These have included projects both in the UK and overseas and donor funders such as EU (ESF, PHARE, TACIS), World Bank, UNIDO and Regional Development Agencies. Projects have focused predominantly on SME business support and have included activities such as computer based product development, workforce development, mentoring schemes, Business Angels networks and some very “off the wall” activities such as Chaos Management within SMEs!!
In Jan 2003 Sue took a 9 month sabbatical to work as a voluntary member of staff for Raleigh Intl, the youth development charity. She worked as an interpreter and project co-ordinator in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, assisting small remote communities with local building projects using Raleigh's young adult Venturers from around the world. Having completed her work with Raleigh, Sue extended her stay in Central America visiting other countries in the region before spending a month in the Middle East.
Robin is a project manager at SEL with over 6 years experience of supporting social enterprise development. In 2001-02 Robin carried out the first large scale mapping of social enterprises in the capital before going on to set up and manage the London Social Enterprise Network. He has since been involved in a series of research projects at SEL and has written several practical guides for the sector. He has over 2 years experience in social impact assessment having co-developed a framework approach for organisations wishing to asses and articulate the added value they create. Robin holds an undergraduate degree in social policy from U.C.E. in Birmingham and a Masters in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Wan is Policy & Information Officer at SEL. He coordinates the project 'Social Enterprise: Winning with 2012', which is a national project funded by the Office of the Third Sector to maximise social enterprise involvement in the delivery and legacy of the 2012 Games. Previously, he was at the Conservative Party's Research Department and the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit. Wan holds an MSc in Research Methodology and a BA (Hons) in Business Management.
Nicola joined SEL in September 2007. Previously she worked as administrator in the national membership team at Business in the Community. As well as being PA to Allison Ogden-Newton, Nicola helps out with all aspects of admin in the team, this includes helping organising some of the SEL events. Outside work, she is a member of a local amateur dramatic group, enjoys going to pub quizzes and karaoke, and is also an Arsenal fan. Nicola loves travelling; her favourite country is Australia where she spent a year travelling and working.
Wangoo Kang has worked for the Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance since 1993. Most recently, his role as Director of Social Service Coordination has seen him responsible for allocating funding to social enterprises. Here in London on a scholarship programme funded by the Korean government, his research and findings will inform future social enterprise policies in Korea.
Kathryn Smith
Sergio Olivares
Steve Clare
Daniel Silverstone
Baroness Glenys Thornton
Sital Punja
June O'Sullivan
Gordon D'Silva
Matthew Thomson
Carmel McConnell
Mark is Managing Director of Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) which is the pioneering staff owned not for profit Leisure Social Enterprise that took over the operation of Greenwich Council's leisure centres in 1993.The GLL ‘model' has now been replicated by 100 local authorities throughout the United Kingdom and leisure Social Enterprises provide a thriving and growing contribution to the modernising local government agenda.
GLL itself now operates all the public leisure centres (45) in Greenwich, Waltham Forest, Newham, Barnet, Merton, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham and Tower Hamlets London Boroughs as well as being involved in a range of other partnership and regeneration initiatives. GLL has a turnover of over £ 30,000,000 and employs more than 2,000 people in London.
GLL has recently been awarded the management contract for Crystal Palace National Sports Centre to work in partnership with Sport England and the London Development Agency.
Mark is Chair of Social Enterprise London, is a member of the board of the Social Enterprise Coalition, Secretary of the Sports and Recreation Trusts Association (SpoRTA) and is Vice Chair of the South Greenwich Regeneration Agency.
Sophi is the first Managing Director of Divine Chocolate Ltd and over the last six years has used her persistence, imagination and flair to established the business as the leading Fairtrade Chocolate Company. In a first for Fairtrade, the cooperative of small scale cocoa farmers in Ghana that supply the cocoa own 33% of the company, that means they have a direct relationship with the staff, an influence over how the company is run and a share of any profits.
Sophi has actively participated in the social enterprise network, showcasing the company as an example of excellence. In 1999 Day was awarded Millennium Product status by the Design Council for its innovative company structure, in 2000 is was runner up in the Business in the Community award, the only SME to participate in that years awards. In 2003 it was runner up in the World Aware – Small Business in Africa Award and 2004 it was shortlisted for National Business Awards Social Enterprise of the Year. Day has been showcased in a number of publications on Social Enterprise.
Over the last 4 years Sophi has sat on the panel of the Natwest Enterprising Solutions competition looking at some of the leading social enterprises in the UK.
Stephen Sears was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 at the New Statesman Upstarts Awards.
He is Chief Executive of the ECT Group, which includes Ealing Community Transport, one of London's leading Community Transport organisations and ECT Recycling, the largest Community Recycling organisation in the country. ECT have recently added Dartmoor Railway and its sister company RMS Locotec, a railway engineering business to the group. Operating over 400 vehicles and employing over 900 staff the ECT Group is an example of a successful social enterprise with a turnover of over £ 40m in 2005/2006.
The organisation was formed in 1979 as the transport project of the Ealing Voluntary Service Council. Stephen became its first full time worker in 1980 and has guided its development ever since. The ECT Group has made the transition from an organisation funded predominantly through short-term grants to a successful contracting organisation providing recycling services to over three million people in local authorities in London, Warwickshire and the West Country. It is also contracted to operate the 195 bus route for Transport for London.
Stephen has also been involved in the development of the Community Transport Association since 1981, was its Chair for ten years and is now the Treasurer. He is also a former member of the trustee board of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.
Stephen has been active in local politics and has been a leading member of the Council of the London Borough of Ealing from 1986 – 1990 and from 1994 to date. Until recently he was Cabinet member for Planning and Transport, but has recently stepped down to concentrate on the development of ECT.
Stephen holds a degree in Town & Country Planning from University of Manchester and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Henley Management College.
Anthonia Onigbode is the Director of Finance/Deputy Director of Hackney Co-operative Developments. She has over 17 years financial / management accounting experience, is a Certified Accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
Hackney Co-operative Developments (HCD) is a not for profit community/co-operative development agency with 23 years experience delivering Central/Local Government and EU regeneration programmes. HCD provides premises for over 60 local businesses, voluntary organisations and community groups, and has provided development support, business advice and training to hundreds of local people every year. HCD's annual turnover is ½ a million and has a capital asset of over £ 3 Million.
Anthonia is the Company Secretary of Social Enterprise London, and acts as Company Secretary for several voluntary and charity organisations. Anthonia is the founder of J'adores International a company that specialises in exquisite sculptured footwear.
Ian Mowll has 4 jobs in the charity/social enterprise worlds including being a Director of Core Design - a graphic design company and a Social Enterprise. He also works for the mental health charity Core Arts which won the Angela Vivian Award for social entrepreneurs.
His career started in computing in the financial markets and he also has experience in fundraising, finance and events organisation. He has a particular interest in new solutions that make use of the opportunities provided by the rapidly changing world in which we live.
Ian hopes to contribute to the board of SEL through an enthusiasm for Social Enterprises in general and also his direct experience of the nuts and bolts of small Social Enterprises and the challenges they face.
Gregory Cohn is the Chief Executive of Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency, which addresses the needs of the deprived communities of East London. Gregory has for over 25 years promoted enterprise focused solutions in the deprived areas of West and South London and for the past 14 years he has led Tower Hamlets CDA. The focus of Gregory's work has been through the voluntary / community sector, but he also led the Economic Development Unit of the London Borough of Lambeth for several years.
When Gregory commenced working for Tower Hamlets CDA the sole service was the promotion of worker co-operatives. Whilst this remains a core activity, under his leadership the agency has alongside established a number of successful projects including Succession London, food co-operatives and recycling initiatives.
Gregory is the founder member of Social Enterprise London as he facilitated the closure of two other agencies whose resources were transferred to establish SEL. He remains strongly committed to promoting and supporting new and existing social enterprise opportunities throughout London.
